Samsung is the outright Wear OS leader with its series of Galaxy Watch smartwatches. However, Google has been laying claim with the Pixel Watch over the past couple of years, with the 2nd-gen Pixel Watch 2 having only arrived a few months ago alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This year brings further competition from OnePlus and Xiaomi, who have now entered the fray with their own Wear OS smartwatches designed to not only rival the Galaxy Watch 6, but also the Pixel Watch 2.
The OnePlus Watch 2 marks the company’s first Wear OS-based smartwatch, while the Xiaomi Watch 2 represents Xiaomi’s second Wear OS wearable. Both devices share impressive specs: 1.43-inch circular OLED screens with 466 x 466 pixels resolution, Qualcomm’s 4nm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage, all running on Wear OS 4. In comparison, the Pixel Watch 2 has a smaller 1.2-inch OLED screen with a lower 450 x 450 pixels resolution, and a weaker Qualcomm 5100 chipset but the same memory.
When it comes to battery life, the OnePlus Watch 2 with its 500mAh unit boasts a claimed 100 hours on a single charge thanks to a clever dual-processor setup that will likely be used in the Pixel Watch 3. A secondary BES 2700 processor handles basic tasks like notifications and watch faces, while the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 kicks in for apps and advanced features. The Xiaomi Watch 2, with its 495mAh battery, offers a still-respectable 65 hours. On the other hand, the Pixel Watch 2 and its 306mAh battery can only go as far as 24 hours on a single charge with always-on-display enabled.
Similar to the Pixel Watch 2, both smartwatches pack an array of sensors for fitness, health, sleep, and stress monitoring, including an accelerometer, barometer, dual-frequency GPS, gyro, heart rate sensor, and pulse oximeter. They do, however, lack advanced features like ECG and Fall Detection. Xiaomi’s Watch 2 includes Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) for body composition measurement.
Microphone, loudspeaker, IP68 dust and water resistance, plus Bluetooth 5.2/5.3, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and NFC are standard on both devices. However, only Xiaomi’s smartwatch offers a cellular (LTE) option, unlike the OnePlus which lacks this feature entirely. This is another area where the Pixel Watch 2 has an edge over the OnePlus Watch 2 for folks in the U.S., with LTE versions available for untethered workouts and communication.
Just like the Google Pixel Watch 2, OnePlus and Xiaomi watches rely on wired charging. Considering the OnePlus Watch 2 is priced at $299.99 and the Xiaomi Watch 2 starts at €199 ($216), the Pixel Watch 2’s starting price of $349 seems relatively competitive. After all, you’re getting Google’s latest smartwatch that not only offers a brighter screen, ECG, Fall Detection, and more customization options but also might have a longer software support window compared to other non-Google Wear OS watches.
Hillary Keverenge
2113 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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